Inside the Braves with MLB.com's Mark Bowman

After spending more than a week knowing it was inevitable, Braves Kris Medlen spent a portion of Tuesday afternoon undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery for the second time in less than four years.

Dr. James Andrews has performed both of these surgeries on Medlen, who first underwent the procedure on Aug. 18, 2010.Pitchers generally need at least 12 months to recover from this process.Medlen’s timetable might be extended because this was the second time Andrews had toperform this surgery, which replaces the elbow’s ulnar collateral ligament.

Medlen and Brandon Beachy left Braves camp on Sunday to travel to Pensacola in preparation of the evaluations Andrews made on Monday.Beachy confirmed he did not receive a favorable prognosis.But before undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in less than two years, the right-hander will first receive another opinion while visiting with Dr. Neal ElAttache in Los Angeles on Wednesday.

Andrews also performed Beachy’s initial procedure in 2012.

When Medlen received confirmation that he would need to undergo this surgery for a second time, he vowed that he will attempt to pitch at the Major League level again.

“I approach this process with the same drive that I’ve had my entire life and will do everything I can to come back from this “thing” twice,” Medlen said.

While the Braves have said they will evaluate the rehab protocols they have used for pitchers coming off of Tommy John surgery, Medlen has indicated he will likely have to alter his mechanics.The 28-year-old right-hander knows that he puts extra strain on his elbow whenever he throws his changeup.

Kris Medlen knew that he was destined for a second Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery as he walked off the mound during the fourth inning of his March 9 start against the Mets. After enduring a wave of emotions for more than a week, Medlen received confirmation as he visited Dr. James Andrews in Pensacola, Fla. on Monday.

When asked for a comment, Medlen sent this message which thanks fans for their outpouring of support and also confirms that he plans to attempt to beat the odds that face any pitcher who has had to undergo this surgical procedure two times.

MEDLEN’S RESPONSE:

The news is obviously very tough but I knew when I walked off the mound mid inning what I had felt. The love and support I’ve felt from my family/teammates, (they go hand in hand), the Braves organization and braves fans everywhere really means the world to me and will definitely help me through all this. The part that blew me away this past week, were the comments and outreach that I received from other organizations, opponents, and the fans of baseball around the league. I’ve always tried to earn the respect of people based on myself as a person on and off the field and the response I’ve gotten after the last week is truly amazing. The same fans that curse at me while warming up in the opposing stadiums, reached out and let me know that they appreciate the way I play the game and that is just an unbelievable feeling. I approach this process with the same drive that I’ve had my entire life and will do everything I can to come back from this “thing” twice. Once, again thank you so much and Go Bravos!!!

Two days after Kris Medlen confirmed he is likely destined to undergo a second Tommy John surgery, Brandon Beachy stood in the Braves clubhouse on Friday morning and indicated he is prepared to realize the same fate.

Medlen and Beachy will both be evaluated by Dr. James Andrews on Monday. Results of tests performed this week have given both of these Braves pitchers no choice but to be prepared to undergo this elbow ligament replacement procedure for the second time in less than four years.

“There’s a lot of frustration,” Beachy said. “I’m really, really frustrated.But there’s nothing I can do about it now.”

Less than 24 hours after Medlen exited Sunday’s start against the Mets with an ailing elbow, Beachy lasted two innings in a start against the Phillies that was marred by tightness around his right elbow and biceps muscle.He was told the discomfort was to be expected as he attempted to return from the two elbow surgeries he has undergone over the past 20 months.

But the images from an MRI exam and a stress X-ray performed earlier this week have indicate he has some damage around the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow.

“It wasn’t what I would have liked it to have been,”Beachy said of the results. “I was pretty confident when I left the game on Monday.That was based on what I was told. I was being honest.Now it looks like it might be something else.It’s frustrating, very frustrating.”

Ervin Santana has signed a one-year contract with the Braves. The veteran hurler will be introduced during a press conference that is set to begin around 8:30 a.m. ET.

The Braves gained interest in Santana when Kris Medlen exited Sunday’s Grapefruit League start with a potential season-ending elbow injury. That interest increased on Monday when Brandon Beachy exited his start because of tightness around his right elbow and biceps muscle.

Santana rejuvenated his career last year as he went 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA for the Royals. The 31-year-old right-hander had drawn interest from the Orioles, Blue Jays and Twins earlier this week.

Santana’s addition gives the Braves reason to feel better about their suddenly injury-decimated rotation. Without him, Atlanta would have entered the season with a rotation that consisted of Julio Teheran, Freddy Garcia, Alex Wood and David Hale.

Kris Medlen realizes he has not completely escaped the danger zone. But for now, he can at least continue hoping to avoid undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery for the second time in four years. <p>

Results of an MRI exam performed on Monday show some damage around the ulnar collateral ligament in Medlen’s elbow. But Braves manager Frank Wren said Medlen will undergo further evaluation before it is determine the significance of the damage. <p>

“The MRI does show some involvement with the ligament,” Wren said. “We don’t know the extent yet. He’s going to have continued test and he’s probably going to have a second opinion. So for us to put a complete diagnosis on it now would be premature.” <p>

Medlen’s MRI results were complicated by the fact it is hard to produce a clear image of the ligament after a pitcher has already undergone one Tommy John surgery. <p>

“MRIs on previous Tommy John (patients) are not as clear and not as precise,” Wren said. “I think that is why you have to do a little more evaluation.”

Medlen was preparing to speak to the media on Tuesday when the Braves medical staff learned an opportunity had arisen for him to undergo another evaluation. Consequently, Medlen had to leave before expressing his thoughts regarding this update. <p>

Wren said he expects Medlen to be evaluated by Dr. James Andrews later this week. Andrews performed Tommy John surgery on Medlen on Aug. 18, 2010. <p>

While Kris Medlen undergoes an MRI exam today, the Braves have to prepare themselves for the possibility that Medlen will be sidelined for an extended period.

Even if Medlen is fortunate enough to learn he can avoid undergoing Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery for the second time in four years, it does not appear he is dealing with an ailment that could sideline him for just a couple weeks.

As soon as Medlen walked off the mound holding his elbow during Sunday’s fourth inning against the Mets, fans began asking whether the Braves would jump into the Ervin Santana sweepstakes. Initially, it seemed hard to believe the Braves would have the available funds to bid for Santana, who has reportedly received three-year offers from the Orioles and Twins worth somewhere between $27-33 million.

There is also the fact that the Braves are in the process of attempting to strengthen their top prospect crop, which is currently pitching-heavy. Signing Santana would cost Atlanta its first-round selection (26th overall) in June’s First-Year Player Draft. In compensation for losing Brian McCann via free agency, the Braves have already gained the 32nd overall selection, which would allow the opportunity to select a player comparable to what would be available six picks earlier.

Given the financial and draft pick costs, the Braves have reason to be reluctant to pursue a 31-year-old pitcher, who went 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA while benefiting from Kansas City’s strong defense last year. But for now, it does not appear the Braves have completely ruled out the possibility of pursuing Santana.

While Santana is a possibility, the Braves are more likely to begin the season with a starting rotation that consists of Brandon Beachy, Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Freddy Garcia. Two early offdays allow the club to work with a four-man rotation until April 12. Mike Minor, who was slowed by shoulder discomfort during the early days of camp, believes he will be ready to join the rotation around that same date.

Beachy is scheduled to pitch four innings this afternoon while working on the same mound from which he tossed three scoreless innings against the Phillies last week. As we get closer to the regular season, Beachy will continue to increase his effort level and throw more breaking balls. His fastball velocity during his first two exhibition season outings has sat between 88-91 mph. According to FanGraphs, his average fastball velocity was 92 mph in 2011 and 91 in 2012, the year he underwent Tommy John surgery.

When Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez delayed announcing his Opening Day starter in case an injury altered his plan, he was not necessarily preparing himself to deal with an ailment as serious as the one Kris Medlen appeared to incur while pitching against the Mets on Sunday afternoon.

Medlen exited the game in the fourth inning with what the Braves are currently describing as a right forearm strain.When the veteran right-hander undergoes further evaluation on Monday, he can only hope to learn he will not have to undergo Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery for the second time in less than four years.

Medlen walked directly toward the dugout after throwing his second pitch to Matt Clark with two outs in the fourth inning.He had grabbed his elbow after throwing his first pitch to Clark during this same plate appearance.

Unfortunately, Medlen’s reaction was similar to the one he had when he exited a start against the Mets on Aug. 4, 2010.He underwent Tommy John surgery two weeks later and then endured a long rehab process that sidelined him until the final week of the 2011 regular season.

With Tim Hudson now with the Giants, Medlen entered this season as the obvious choice to serve as Atlanta’s Opening Day starter.The Braves might now enter the upcoming season with both Medlen and Mike Minor on the disabled list.

Minor reported to Spring Training behind scheduled because of the month-long stretch of inactivity he experienced after undergoing a urinary tract procedure on Dec. 31.He began throwing off a mound again last week and is still hoping to be ready to join Atlanta’s rotation by the end of the regular season’s second week.

If Minor and Medlen are both sidelined at the beginning of the season, Atlanta could open the season with a starting rotation that consists of Brandon Beachy, Julio Teheran, Alex Wood and Freddy Garcia.

Courtesy of two early scheduled offdays, the Braves could use a four-man rotation until April 12.If Minor continues to progress like he has over the past couple of weeks, he would likely be ready to join the rotation at that time.

The Braves believe Mike Minor will be ready to join their starting rotation at some point during the regular season’s first week. But the fact that he will likely not start any of the first eight games adds to the difficulty of predicting who will be a part of Atlanta’s pitching staff on Opening Day.

In case you missed it, Minor underwent a urinary tract surgical procedure on Dec. 31 and was unable to do much of anything in January. His attempt to accelerate his preparations led to some shoulder soreness during the early days of Spring Training. Though he is currently behind schedule, the Braves believe he will be ready to fit in their rotation between April 10-12.

This sets up the likelihood that Minor will begin the season on the disabled list. Because the transaction could be made retroactive to any of the final 10 days of Spring Training, he still would be eligible for activation at some point during the first homestand, which includes three-game sets against the Mets and Nationals.

If Minor does indeed begin the season on the disabled list, scheduled offdays will give the Braves the option of using a four-man rotation through the season’s first eight games. Kris Medlen, Brandon Beachy, Julio Teheran and Alex Wood appear to be the favorites to form the potential season-opening quartet. But Freddy Garcia’s presence also has to be accounted for in the planning process.

When Spring Training began, I suggested that it might be wise to begin the season with Garcia in the rotation and Wood in the pen. My reasoning was influenced by the fact that Wood will be limited to 170-180 innings during what will be his first full season at the professional level.

If Wood joined the rotation at some point in May, he would likely not have to worry about being limited or possibly shut down at some point in September. At the same time, the Braves could use another left-handed presence in their bullpen.

But this option is flawed on multiple fronts. It is not easy to make the in-season adjustment from reliever to starter. And maybe more importantly, Wood is far too valuable to spend the season’s first month serving as the left-handed specialist that could fortify the already-strong Atlanta bullpen.

So, it seems much more likely Wood will begin the regular season in the starting rotation. This would set the stage for the Braves to occasionally skip one of his turns with the intention to limit his innings and increase the possibility that he would not be limited down the stretch.

If the Braves go this route, Atlanta’s Opening Day bullpen will likely include Craig Kimbrel, Luis Avilan, Jordan Walden, David Carpenter, Anthony Varvaro and Garcia. The next month will determine who might fill the last bullpen spot.

Avilan, who stands as the only left-hander in this projected bullpen, Walden and Carpenter have all produced splits that give manager Fredi Gonzalez the confidence they can handle both right-handed and left-handed hitters. But it still would be valuable to have a southpaw available to face a left-handed hitter or two during the middle innings.

Consequently Ryan Buchter stands as one of the favorites to earn a chance to begin the season in Atlanta’s bullpen. The 27-year-old southpaw surrendered 11 hits and recorded 48 strikeouts in the 89 at-bats left-handed hitters recorded against him as he pitched for Triple-A Gwinnett last year.

Along with being dominant against left-handed hitters, Buchter also created concern about his command. He issued 51 walks (33 vs. RHH) in the 62 innings he compiled over 51 appearances.

During Wednesday’s Grapefruit League season debut against the Tigers, Buchter issued a walk that led to a run. But he also struck out the only two left-handed batters he faced (Jordan Lennerton and Don Kelly).

Luis Vasquez’s hope to begin the season in Atlanta’s bullpen has diminished as he has spent the early portion of Spring Training recovering from a lat strain he suffered in January. Vasquez is aiming to begin throwing off the mound within the next few days.

Odds and Ends: Hard-throwing right-hander Juan Jaime lived up to his reputation while recording a pair of strikeouts in a scoreless inning against the Tigers on Wednesday. One National League scout said four of Jaime’s fastballs registered 100 mph. Jaime issued 28 walks and recorded 70 strikeouts while compiling a 4.07 ERA in 42 innings with Double-A Mississippi last year.

While Kris Medlen is destined to receive the honor as long as he remains healthy, the Braves will wait a couple more weeks before announcing their Opening Day starter. Manager Fredi Gonzalez said his current plan sets the stage for three different pitchers to start the three openers the Braves will experience. Along with opening the season in Milwaukee, the Braves will serve as the opposition in the Nationals home opener.

Andrelton Simmons arrived in Braves camp hoping to be the next member of the club’s talented core to receive a contract extension. Two days later, he received his wish.

The Braves announced Thursday morning that Simmons has signed a seven-year contract extension that will keep him in Atlanta through the end of the 2020 season.

Since making his Major League debut midway through the 2012 season, Simmons has established himself as one of the game’s elite defensive players. The 24-year-old shortstop was credited with 41 defensive runs saved last year, the highest total ever recorded by a player since the stat was first used in 2003.

The Braves also saw Simmons provide some surprising power courtesy of the 17 home runs he hit while batting .248 in 157 games last year. Optimism regarding his offensive potential was enhanced as he produced a .796 OPS after the All-Star break.

Over the past two weeks, the Braves have given long-term extensions to Simmons, Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, Julio Teheran. These deals have set the stage for each of these players to still be in Atlanta in 2017, when the club moves to its new stadium in Cobb County.

As Joey Terdoslavich spoke to Justin Upton during batting practice on Monday morning, he glowingly spoke of Luis Vasquez, much like many many of the scouts who saw the Braves right-handed reliever spend his offseason pitching in the Dominican Winter League.

“He’s 88-91 (mph) from down here and then all of the sudden he’s 95-97 from the same spot,” Terdoslavich said while simulating a sidearm motion. “He also sometimes throws (with a three-quarter delivery) He’s nasty.”

Because he also spent a portion of the past few months competing in the DWL, Terdoslavich is one of the few in Braves camp who has actually had a chance to see Vasquez pitch.

After resolving a visa issue that prevented him from traveling from the D.R. to the United States, Vasquez reported to Atlanta’s Spring Training complex on Monday morning. But because he recently suffered a mild lat strain, the 27-year-old right-hander will be evaluated by the club’s medical staff before he is permitted to begin throwing.

Vasquez is one of the more intriguing players in Braves camp this year. Shortly after the Braves signed him as a Minor League free agent on Nov. 3, scouts began buzzing about the plus fastball he was producing with this sidearm delivery that he began utilizing two years ago.

Somewhere in the midst of producing a 7.47 ERA in the 43 appearances he combined to make for the Dodgers at the Double-A and Triple-A Minor League levels, Vasquez discarded his traditional overhand delivery and began developing this sidearm motion that resuscitated his career and ultimately allowed him to come to Spring Training with a chance to begin the upcoming season in Atlanta’s bullpen.

While it appears Vasquez could begin pitching again within the next few days, Tyler Pastornicky is anxiously looking forward to meet with Braves orthopedist Dr. Marvin Royster this weekend. Royster will evaluate Pastornicky’s surgically-repaired left knee and then give the backup infielder a better sense of how much he might be limited over the next few weeks.

Floyd cleared to throw breaking balls: Gavin Floyd took another step in his rehab process when he was cleared to begin throwing curveballs during what proved to be a pain-free bullpen session on Monday.

Echoing what many other managers have said about many other pitchers who are nine months removed from Tommy John surgery, Gonzalez said, “If you didn’t know that he was coming off Tommy John stuff, then you would think ‘boy this guy is really ready to start the season.'”

The Braves certainly have reason to be encouraged by the pain-free progress made by Floyd, who is hoping to join Atlanta’s rotation in May. But given how successful Brandon Beachy’s 12-month rehab process proved to be for all but the final two weeks, it seems smarter to temper the excitement right now.

Lineup plan: As expected, Gonzalez plans to construct the top of the lineup the same way he did when Jason Heyward was healthy during last season’s final two months. Heyward will sit in the leadoff spot and be followed in order by Justin Upton, Freddie Freeman and Evan Gattis.

By using Gattis in the cleanup spot, Gonzalez will have to jumble his lineup for that game or two a week in which Gattis is getting a break from his role as the club’s primary catcher.

The Giants (Buster Posey) and Indians (Carlos Santana) were the only two clubs who had a catcher tally at least 200 plate appearances in the cleanup spot last year. Some of those plate appearances notched by Posey and Santana came while they were being utilized at first base or as the designated hitter.

With Freeman’s presence, the Braves obviously don’t have the luxury of routinely keeping Gattis in the lineup by putting him at first base. And it certainly wouldn’t make much sense to give him a chance to rest his legs by having him play left field on those days he is not catching.

So approximately once every five games, the middle of the Braves lineup could assume a different look. Gonzalez said he might put Freeman in the cleanup spot when Gattis is not in the lineup. Doing so, would likely drop Justin Upton to the third spot and create the need to move either Andrelton Simmons, Chris Johnson or B.J. Upton (if he proves to be much improved) to the second spot on those days.

If one of these guys proves to be effective in the two hole, this might be one of those “potential problems” that in hindsight will be described as over-analyzed. Or maybe, Dan Uggla proves to be the Dan Uggla of yesteryear and gives Gonzalez the confidence to man the cleanup spot on those days Gattis is resting.

In other words, if B.J. and Uggla both prove to be productive, having to jumble the cleanup spot once or twice a week won’t seem to be a problem. But I think it goes without saying that this specific “if” scenario would solve potential problems that are deemed much more substantial than this one.

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